The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a rotation type storage device. In particular, the present invention concerns a control apparatus for magnetic storage devices, such as magnetic disc storage devices, magnetic drum storages, floppy discs and the like, in which rotatable magnetic recording medium or media are employed.
The magnetic storage devices of this type are widely used in data processing systems for storing a large quantity of data. As is well known, a magnetic recording disc, for example, has a plurality of tracks each of which is divided into a number of regions each of a physically fixed length. The region is referred to as a sector. Writing-in and reading-out of data from and into the storage device are effected on the sector base.
In the case of a magnetic disc storage, for example, in which writing-in and reading-out of data are performed on the sector base as mentioned above, an upper or host device, such as an electronic computer and the like, usually furnishes the control apparatus of the magnetic disc storage device with control information concerning the record format of the concerned sector on the magnetic disc. In response thereto, the control apparatus controls the magnetic disc device in accordance with the control information including the sector address under command of the host device to thereby carry out the recording and/or retrieval of data on the sector base.
In most of the prior art magnetic disc storages, the record formats have usually been definitely and fixedly prepared for individual magnetic discs, respectively. Under the circumstances, when the recording and/or reproduction of data is to be effected for the magnetic discs whose record formats are different from one another, the control apparatus appropriate or compatible to the respective record formats have to be correspondingly configured and provided, involving enormous expenditure and labors.